Connections Community Newsletter provides the Gift of Hope public and professional communities with news and information about Gift of Hope, organ and tissue donation and the importance of being a registered organ and tissue donor.

Averey Anderson was only two years old when her Uncle Brent Hubley suffered life-threatening injuries in a motorcycle accident in 2010. But speaking with her you would think she knew him her entire life. Although she was too young at the time of his death to understand the significance and importance of her uncle becoming an [...]

If Derrick Page could’ve given his heart to his grandfather, Larry, he would have. That’s just the kind of person he was. In fact, the 23-year old Aurora University student was planning on registering as an organ and tissue donor, but fate stepped in, and he lost his life before he could sign up. Derrick died [...]

During their first meeting, Michael (left) heard the heart of his 17-year-old daughter Payton beating inside Gordon’s chest. Before receiving a heart transplant in fall 2017, Gordon Harris wasn’t sure he’d live to see his grand kids grow up. “Every day I’d look in the mirror, and all I could see was death [...]

Life for Jamie Nieto was typical in 2003. He was a 19-year-old sophomore in college, playing college golf, spending time with family and friends, and trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. But all of that changed on Nov. 8, 2003, Jamie’s 20th birthday. He went to the Franklin Park, Ill., [...]

Since the shooting that left him paralyzed from the waist down, Shawn has become one of Chicago’s leading voices in the anti-gun and nonviolence movements in the city. Frinda Harrington was everything to her son, Shawn. He remembers her as a loving, generous woman who, as a single parent of an only child, [...]

As a donor in spirit, Rachel was a kind and compassionate person who left an indelible mark on the lives of those who knew and loved her. Rachel Dean was a source of hope and positivity for anyone who met her. The 25-year-old teacher and swim coach was always advocating for others and bringing [...]

Maddie Finch Jim Allmon is no stranger to the difficult task of knocking on the doors of families at all hours of the day and night to deliver the worst news of their lives — that a loved one has died. He has been employed at the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office since June 2003. [...]

Olivia “Livi” Sonetz was a force of nature — energetic, kind, unstoppable, fearless and unforgettable. Tragically, Livi, who was a senior at Normal Community West High School in Normal, Ill., died on March 7 after an automobile accident one day earlier. Despite the magnitude of their loss and sorrow, her parents, Laura and Paul, authorized organ [...]

On June 3, dozens of families, friends, local dignitaries and representatives from Gift of Hope crowded the Louis Sherman Community Center in Steger, Ill., for the formal dedication of the Lorenzo Garcia Park of Hope. “Heroes in Our Midst” was the theme of the day as superhero balloons, signs and collectibles decorated the entrance to the [...]

New Connections Spotlights Donation Story Series The latest Connections showcases the donation story series we ran on our social media channels during National Donate Life Month in April and offers a visual recap on the many NDLM activities we conducted during the month to help raise awareness of Gift of Hope and donation and to [...]

Turn to us for subject experts and local and national statistics on organ and tissue donation. We also can offer information on the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry, Donate Life Illinois and the critical need for organs and tissue in our Illinois and northwest Indiana service area.

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